


Deliberate

by Lobb



Category: RWBY
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:55:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27346186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lobb/pseuds/Lobb
Summary: Just how important is a minute?Sixty seconds.  It can mean anything.It can mean the world.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 31





	Deliberate

**Author's Note:**

> The new Smash Into Pieces album is a banger- especially Forever Alone, which I listened to on repeat writing this chapter.

_ She remembered. At least, she was pretty sure she did. _

_ So many things. But the most important one was the feel of his lips on hers. _

_ She swore she had been saying goodbye. _

_ She heard a noise. Something swam in the colors, in the blurs. _

_ For some reason, despite how the rest of her felt cold, her right hand felt warm. _

_ She wasn’t sure why, but she was sad. _

  
  


“Visiting hours are over, sir.”

_ Gold. She’d learned to love that color. That, and blue. She’d been fond of red since she was little. Her hair was the same red as her mother’s. It was a point of pride for her, one of the few things she chose to take pride in. _

_ He was the one who mattered most to her in the world. He’d helped her find people she could call her friends. People who trusted her, people she trusted in turn. _

“The damage has mostly repaired itself, but she hasn’t woken up yet. … No, she has moments of lucidity, so I think it’s just her body trying to keep from going into shock. Even for a Huntress, those were career-ending injuries. Aura can do a lot of things, but it doesn’t toughen up your nerves.”

_ She’d had to do  _ **_something._ **

“Visiting hours are over, sir.”

_ She hated those words. It always seemed like things felt so much colder when they were said. _

“She vanished in the night. The only ones from Ruby still around are Ruby and Yang.”

_ A silver, blinding flash. That was pretty memorable. Silver was so rare. _

“Please… wake up.”

_ I love you. _

“Please…”

_ Her heart felt sixteen times tighter. _

“What are we going to do? The Bullheads for the other schools have already left.”

“We’re going to stay here, with our family.”

“... Thank you, Ren.”

_ Family. Once upon time, she’d had a family. Then her father had gotten sick. She remembered that day, she’d come home wondering why her parents hadn’t been there to see her. She’d been so happy. _

_ Her mother hadn’t been the only one at home, paramedics had blocked the drive. She remembered the words her mother had said, she was too young. _

_ “Daddy’s gone ahead.” _

_ Those words had changed the world. She remembered the funeral, crying. She’d been a freshman at Sanctum. That year… that year she got obsessed. She wanted her Papa’s spirit to look down and know that she was okay. _

“Jaune…”

_ Her heart fluttered. _

“We need you.”

“Just a few more minutes.”

_ Who could hurt you so? Who could lay you so low? Tell me. I’ll make them regret it, forever. _

“We’re the only ones still here…”

“Everyone is busy with their own issues. Ruby hasn’t woken up, either.”

“She will.”

_ How can you sound like you’re on the verge of tears, when you sound so strong? It’s beautiful. Gods, you’re so amazing… _

“Visiting hours are over, sir.”

_ Please, stop saying that… _

“Visiting hours are over, sir.”

“Just a few more minutes.”

_ I want to see you again. I’d give anything… _

_ Even just for a minute. _

_ How could a minute be so important? It felt so small. She’d felt so big- so alone- for so long. _

  
“Visiting hours are over, sir.”

_ Please, stop saying that. _

“Visiting hours are over, sir.”

_ She’d never hated words so much as she hated those ones. _

“Just a few more minutes.”

_ I love you. _

“Please…”

_ How can you be so broken inside? _

“Please… Pyrrha.”

_ Who hurt you so? Tell me. _

“Please…”

_ How can I tell you how much hearing you say my name makes me want to sing? _

“I can’t do this without you.”

_ You can. You’re so strong. I can barely believe it. You’re so amazing. _

“Pyrrha… Please wake up.”

_ But I’m not asleep, silly. _

“I love you.”

_ Her chest tightened up so much. Deep inside, she felt so powerful that she could do anything. _

“Visiting hours are over, sir.”

_ Her hand was so cold after those words. She grasped out for the warmth, wishing it would stay. _

“Yang woke up. She’s… not doing so hot, though.”

“Ruby won’t be long after. What are we going to do?”

“... We’ll all be there.”

“Jaune-”

“I know it.”

_ You care so much. It’s so beautiful. I’ve never seen someone who cared as much as you do. Not since Mama and Papa. How can you stand to love so much? It’s amazing. _

“Please…”

_ Tell me their name. Tell me who hurt you. I’d move Remnant for you. _

“Pyrrha… please… I can’t do this without you.”

_ So salty and bitter, the taste on her lips, but so warm, so kind. How could it ever be as bittersweet as saying goodbye? _

“Sir, visiting hours are over-”

Pyrrha Nikos opened her eyes.

  
  
  


**Deliberate**

**Prologue**

**Courage**

  
  


It had been two weeks. Between the reconstruction efforts and the fighting against Grimm trying to keep what little of Vale wasn’t populated with the creatures from being overrun, Jaune didn’t know what had put him through the ringer more. The constant fighting, or sitting in the hospital room, wishing with all of his heart that things would  **make sense** again.

He could almost replicate the noise of the heart-rate monitor in his sleep. He knew the Doctor’s face better than he knew some of his sisters’. An older Faunus woman, a fluffy tail standing out from the white coat. Those glasses and the languid red-eyed stare had made him think of Professor Goodwitch, who he saw all too often these days.

She was the only one who could rebuild Vale with any kind of speed. Gods, how he felt for the woman. She’d always been beautiful- if scary as hell. Now, she just looked wore out and defeated.

About how he felt. How they all felt, really. He’d seen more Grimm in the past two weeks than he had in his whole life. So many breeds and monsters that he’d started to dream of them in his sleep. Killing Grimm in his waking hours, as well as his deathly ones.

Some people had thanked him, but most looked like they were just hanging on. Just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Growing up in Ansel, he’d never seen that despair. Now, he knew it pretty well. Like a friend who wouldn’t get off your couch.

It was in Ren and Nora’s eyes, too. He wished he could do something, say something- but for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out what to say. It all felt empty.

If he wasn’t on the frontlines, he was here. There’d been a time or two he’d fallen asleep, just to be chased out by the nurse.

Beds were full, so many people were still being buried. How many more would be buried because there just weren’t enough hours in the day, and enough people who could help?

He felt worthless. Like all he could do was rage against the injustice of it all. He’d wanted to be a hero, and yet- for the life of him- all he seemed to find was that he was just putting gauze on a wound too big to treat.

“I need you…” He always found those words slipping past his lips, dry and cracked from self-abuse. Saffron would have bullied him about it. Her hand was still so soft and warm.

“It should have been me…”

That thought ate away at his hours, keeping him from sleeping. His world had been so big, full, and colorful- and just like that, it’d all been gone in a burst of smoke. Most of his friends- the people he knew- were all gone. Or if they were here, they couldn’t be reached.

He hadn’t felt this alone in his whole life.

“Sir…” He looked away, seeing the Nurse peering into the room. A young dark-haired woman with darker skin. “Visiting hours are over.”

“Just a few more minutes-” He drew in a deep breath, squeezing her hand as she laid there, fighting back tears. “Please.”

“Sir-”

_ Beep. Beep-beep- beep-beep-beep- _ “Pleease… stahp saying… that.”

For the first time in weeks, Jaune Arc’s heart hammered in his chest, as he looked away from the nurse, and blue met green.

“Hello again.” She uttered, between a cough. Unable to help himself, Jaune started to cry. Pyrrha wanted to ask why, but as he bundled her into his arms, she decided words could wait.

This was pretty nice.


End file.
